Still Waters
by UwIllNevERn0
Summary: It's been a couple of weeks since Wally entered the Speed Force, and strange things are beginning to happen. Juggling his work as a hero and his new relationship, Wally desperately wants to ignore the change in speed. But he won't need to bother with them if he can't defeat his new opponent. "Who are you? What are you?" A cackled and broken laugh. "Death." (Sequel to Flashback)
1. Prologue

**Here it is guys! The sequel to _Flashback_. **

**I hope you guys enjoy this story, I planned it out and let me just say I am really excited to write it. This is just the tip of the iceberg; the actual story is a bit hard to get from this chapter. I'm reading Watchmen for the first time ever, and I'm pretty sure it's influencing my writing. If you guys read it, you may be able to tell what I'm talking about. **

**I must also give a disclaimer! **

**The picture is not mine. It's on ****deviantart and made by _Shamserg._ I didn't ask him if I could use it or anything...but I did. Might get in trouble for that later. But his picture is very appropriate for this story.  
**

**I also have a line in here that is not written by me, but is actually a quote from the comics. That is the line describing the Speed Force, specifically the line: "_a flowing world __of mystery, silver, morphing hyper-dimensional gels._" NOT MINE. I read it somewhere on the internet, but it's actually a quote that Wally says. **

**Also, my editor pointed out that much of this chapter is in the incorrect tense, so if you guys love grammar, then please don't crucify me. I just felt like if I changed it, it would water down the writing a little. Please let it slide! **

**So, please enjoy this little mini-chapter! **

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**Still Waters**

**Written by: UwIllnevErn0**

**Edited by: Ersatz Einstein **

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**Prologue**

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Wally lay down on his bed, staring at the ceiling. He had been doing that for quite a long time. He was in his room, accompanied by the dark and silence; the violet shade of night fell across his window. The moonlight sliced the permeating darkness, peaking through the space between the curtains. The only sounds were his relaxed breathing and the methodic ticking of a clock down the hall. His eyes felt dry and itchy, and they refused to remain shut long enough for him to fall asleep. Turning his head, Wally looked at the blaring red numbers of his clock on the bedside table. It was 2:50 AM.

Sleep was a luxury he didn't often get, and the fact that he was wasting it by doing absolutely nothing annoyed him slightly. Aggravated, Wally turned his line of sight back to the ceiling. Lately, his dreams would wake him up in cold sweat with his fingers digging into his palms. Wally would blink quickly, his eyelids like the shutter on a camera, willing the emotions and visions away. It wouldn't matter if his eyes were open or closed, though. He would lie there, paralyzed, but the dream would still haunt him, following him whether he was awake or asleep. Yet, Wally knew it wasn't the dream he couldn't escape. It wasn't the fear that was clouding his mind. No. It was the desire.

It's because he wished he was somewhere else.

It's because he wished he was in the Speed Force.

After Luthor's stunt with Braniac, and Wally's light-speed sprint, the Flash had become, well, enlightened. If that was the right word for it. The Speed Force was beautiful. It was awe-inspiring. A flowing world of mystery, silver, morphing hyper-dimensonal gels. It was captivating, and Wally had never felt as happy as he had when he stood inside the magnificent and entrancing explosion of images that greeted him on his entry. He couldn't reallly remember what it was like; in his mind it was just a blur of emotions. He did recall that before him, he had seen his entire life, and as he walked by each image that captured a specific moment...they each faded away, and he forgot them. For him, it was an ultimately liberating experience. Wally felt himself become the facade he wore everyday; he became the care-free kid that could crack a joke and laugh, instead of the person using his smile as a mask. His bulletproof veneer, covering the small child inside, playing with fire, steadily drifted away from his memory like the images before him. Wally had slowly healed and regained the bliss of ignorance and innocence, two things he never really had. He had become a blank slate, free of his horrific memories.

And that wasn't even the best part. At the end of everything, out in the distance, way beyond the threshold point of the Speed Force, he saw somebody waiting for him. And without even really seeing past the shadowy silhouette, Wally knew who it was. Or rather, who it had to be.

It was Barry.

Wally vaguely remembers telling someone he had to go, that he was leaving, before setting off to run through the gateway of memories in a dead sprint. Yet he never made it past his first step. A hand had seized his wrist, and no matter how hard Wally ran, no matter how hard he pulled away, he felt the Speed Force, and Barry, slowly slip from his grasp until it all flicked away from him with one final yank.

Next thing he knew, he was lying on the cold, grey pavement. All his horrid memories flooded back to him, like hitting a nine-wheeler in a head-on collision. He tilted his head up and peeled open his eyes. Rubble and destruction was the first thing he saw. The curtain had been lifted, the carpet jerked out from under him, and the would-be paradise crumbled to pieces as he lay there readjusting to his damaged reality. He wanted to scream. He wanted to get up and run again to see it. But the mask was back up, and the only thing he could do was make a joke and grimace as the child inside stuck his hand in the fire. Needless to say: he was bitter.

The clock chimed three times.

Wally sighed angrily and was about to shift from his back to lie on his side, but he was stopped by a heavy force on his torso. Looking down, he saw a mess of black hair spread across his bare chest like a silk blanket. Wally lifted his arm and pushed back the ebony veil. A small, angular face rested above the crook of his arm. Illuminated by the sliver of silver light that seeped in through the window, her pale complexion contrasted strongly with the overpowering darkness that occupied the majority of the room.

Linda.

Wally smiled. Whenever he thought about the Speed Force, whenever he wanted to run as he fast as he could and never come back, he would always remember her and he wouldn't have the heart to take another step. If there was anything he was grateful for, it was her. She kept him rooted, anchored to the ground. Wally couldn't help but gravitate towards her, and even though it had only been 4 months, Wally would have liked to think that the feeling was mutual.

"You're awake."

Wally, who had been counting the little bumps on the popcorn ceiling of his apartment, looked down at the dark-haired beauty. She slowly crawled up to rest her head on Wally's chest, only one of her eyes open. The other stayed soundly shut, and Linda looked ready to doze off as soon as the opportunity arose. Wally reached down with his arm and started stroking her back. Hesitantly, the corner of his mouth rose.

"Yea."

"Bad dream?"

She gave him a lazy smile. He grinned at the sight of it.

"Sort of. It's dumb, nothing to worry about."

Linda stared at him. She was always able to compel him to tell her everything that bothered him with a simple look. It still worked even with one eye. For her benefit, Wally resisted the urge to spew out his guts and all his troubles that followed. She didn't know about his _other_ occupation yet, and he preferred to keep it that way.

"Can't talk about it, babe. Confidential case down at the office."

She gave a tiny frown. Pouting, she lifted herself off his chest and put her head on the pillow next to him, turning her back to him.

"Fine."

Her speech was muffled and groggy. Smirking, Wally turned to lie on his side and hugged her from behind. He nuzzled her neck and whispered seductively in her ear.

"You know, since we're awake..."

Linda opened her eyes and glared at Wally before elbowing him in the stomach.

"Ow!"

Wally patted the stinging, sore muscles before propping his head up on his pillow. He vaguely heard a muffled, "I can't keep up with you" and some half-hearted laughter afterwards. Peering down over Linda's shoulder, he saw the victorious smirk on her face. He mirrored her expression, his eyes softening as he observed the delicate outline of her features in the pale light. Yes, she was better than the Speed Force. With her, he never wore a mask, and he would like to think that he would never have to.

"That hurt, you know."

"Tough love."

Wally couldn't remember what happened next. He fell asleep.

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**Here is the first sample! **

**I'm going to kind of "pilot" this story, so I'll write up to Chapter 2 so that you guys get a taste of the actual storyline. ****  
**

**And I don't often ask for reviews, or at least, I try not to. But at the beginning of a story, I decide whether or not to continue the story based on the level of enthusiasm for it. **

**So please, if you want this story to continue, I ask that you review it now! I quite honestly only continued my last story because of the enthusiastic and lovely reviews I received in the beginning (/throughout, but the beginning is most important.) **

**It will also help me figure out exactly what you like and what you don't like in the story, and I'll tailor it to whatever you guys want!**

**Thank you for reading! :)**

**(BTW any suggestions for genre is welcome.) **


	2. The Spark

**Hey Guys! **

**Here is the next chapter, y'all can finally see the plot beginning to form! And trust me when I say it gets a lot more complicated later on; I'ver already started writing the other chapters.**

**I'd like to thank every single one of you who reviewed for the first chapter! Definitely an inspiration. I tried to reply to everyone, if I accidentally missed you please feel free to yell at me. I love talking to you guys and having a full on conversation. Y'all may not know it, but your reviews really shape the story. **

_**Watu**_**: ****Since you aren't a user, I couldn't reply, but I would like to say thank you! Your review was very sweet and very flattering! :)**

**Alas, here is it is: Chapter 1! **

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**Chapter 1**

**The Spark**

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Wally tapped on his knees with his fingers as if he was playing drums. He kept in beat with the song blasting from the radio of the car, looking out the car window on the passenger side. On his left, Linda hummed lightly while steering the vehicle. Her expression was less than content. Wally peered over from staring out the window, smiling at his singing girlfriend. He chose to ignore the scowl on her face.

"You have a pretty voice."

"Oh please, you're just saying that 'cause you know I'm mad."

Linda glared over at Wally before returning her eyes to the road.

"No, really! It's the truth!"

"In comparison to your voice, then yea, it's true."

Wally rolled his eyes, smirking at her antics.

"Okay, okay. Don't accept the compliment. And thanks for driving me to work again, though you really don't have to."

"I still can't believe you can't drive!" Linda huffed in disbelief. "Honestly, how do you survive? It makes me feel guilty if I don't drop you off."

"First of all, I can drive. It's just cheaper not to, more exercise, better for the environment, and not to mention good for the city's public transportation funds."

"Of course. I'm just pure evil because I drive."

"That's right. Shame on you."

Linda laughed and pulled the car over to the curb. She unlocked the car door and put the vehicle in park. Looking out the window, Wally saw that he arrived at his destination. The forensics lab lay in the background, light grey steps leading up to it. She leaned over to kiss him on the cheek.

"You don't expect me to open the door for you, do you?"

Wally grinned.

"Well, it would've been nice." He kissed her forehead. "But I'm just happy you were free for breakfast."

"Oh, shut up. Get in there and go to this forensic-meeting-thing you're supposed to be at right now. You're already late!"

Wally opened the car door and reluctantly stepped out. He walked to the looming office building, constantly thinking back to the car parked on the curb. Linda rolled down the window and called out to the redhead walking up the stairs.

"Wally! Dinner tonight? At 8?"

He grinned and nodded.

"Yea, I think I'm free. Meet you at your apartment!"

He waved, and she rolled up the window and drove away. Wally watched the car turn the corner before he jumped behind a nearby tree and reached up to his ear.

"Watchtower, I'm in the clear."

* * *

"It's been 30 minutes," said John.

The Green Lantern turned to the other heroes waiting at the conference table. All the original founders were already sitting in their respective chairs; only one seat remained empty.

"Flash has been late to meetings consistently. We need to remind him how important it is to be punctual. Especially since his power is _super-speed._"

Wonder Woman couldn't but agree with Green Lantern. She turned to the group to share her concern.

"John's right. But I'm sure Flash has a good reason for his tardiness. He's entitled to his own life, as well."

"True," said Superman. "But still, Flash has never had this problem before, and-"

A sudden blast of wind entered the room accompanied by the sound of a fighter jet. Suddenly the once empty chair was occupied by a red-suited hero, who sat with his legs propped up on the table and his arms crossed back behind his head. Flash leaned back in his chair, and met the round of glares focused on him with a cheesy grin. His relaxed demeanor contrasted with the tense atmosphere of the room.

"No need to fill me in, guys, I catch on pretty fast. Just keep talking about whatever you were discussing before."

Clark decided to continue where he had left off.

"We didn't start the official meeting. What we had been discussing was your waning punctuality."

Flash's smile faltered a little, but still remained mostly intact. He did move his legs down from the top of the table.

"Yea, sorry about that. I've been kinda of busy lately is all."

"With?"

Flash shrugged.

"...Work."

Batman's eyes narrowed further in suspicion, but he decided that they had already waited long enough to start the meeting.

"We'll talk about this later, but right now we need a team to go prevent a civil war on a planet in Alpha Centauri. We've waited long enough already. J'onn, Flash, and Green Lantern, go handle this situation."

For the first time since he walked in, Flash's smile vanished.

"Wait, I get why GL and J'onn should be in on this, but why me? I actually have somewhere I have to be tonight."

"It'll have to wait." Batman handed GL a stack of papers describing the mission in detail. "The potential civil war hinges on a meteor rock that landed on the planet. Half believes it should be preserved, the other half thinks it should be destroyed. This all hinges on their religion, and there is an extensive library on the planet that has a book that dictates a meteor ritual. However, the debates are getting heated, and they just don't have the time to go through it."

Flash frowned.

"So you need me to speed-read their entire library. I'm guessing J'onn's going to teach me the language on the way there?"

Batman nodded.

"J'onn and I will try to keep the religious zealots from getting too out of hand," John cut in. Wally sighed and lifted one hand to cover his eyes.

"What time will we be back by?"

"That all depends on how these people take the finding. There is almost no doubt that the incorrect side will take the verdict personally. We'll have to do some mediating afterwards. I would project that we would be home by the end of the day. Perhaps 9," Martian Manhunter spoke for the first time.

Dropping his hand, Wally sighed and realized what he had to do. Turning to the side, he saw Shayera smirking at him. He raised his eyebrow at her and her smug smile only grew wider.

"Why in such a rush, Wally? You usually have plenty of time to spare."

"No reason."

Flash inwardly grimaced. He didn't really want to tell anyone about his civilian life. It was already enough that they knew his secret identity, and well, everything else about him.

"Like I said earlier, I have work."

"Really? You don't have a hot date?"

Wally, who was still leaning back in his chair, lost his balance and had to quickly jerk upwards to keep himself from falling. He held the table firmly to readjust himself. Peering up, Wally saw a room full of knowing smiles and grins. Flash cleared his throat.

"Ahem. No." He ignored the looks of disbelief around the table. "But I do need an alibi."

Batman spoke without looking up from the mission reports on the table.

"Say Bruce Wayne asked you to work on a confidential case for him. I'll phone in at your office. Now hurry up and get going."

Wally, along with the other two accompanying him on this mission, stood from his chair. Before leaving, Flash pulled his cellphone from his suit.

"Fine, lemme just make a call."

The Scarlet Speedster zipped out of the room, leaving the other heroes waiting on him once again. Shayera said what was all on their minds.

"Where does he keep his cellphone?"

* * *

_4 hours later..._

Superman floated down from the top of the Watchtower. He landed next to Batman, who was typing away on the control panel.

"Did you hear from John?"

"Yes." The Dark Knight continued dealing with the matrixes and codes of the supercomputer. "Flash just found the information in the library."

Superman looked at Batman in disbelief.

"That's a big library."

"It is."

"And what's the verdict?"

"According to the book, the meteor needs to be... ingested."

Clark gave a chuckle.

"I wonder how they'll take that."

Batman gave one of his rare smirks, but continued to type away on the machine.

Suddenly, the Man of Steel froze, becoming completely silent. Batman noticed the unexpected silence, and turned to look at his companion.

"Do you hear that?"

"Hear what?" The Dark Knight's eyes narrowed in suspicion.

Superman floated down to the lower level, scanning the room with his x-ray vision. He floated near a pile of machines that the Justice League had recently decided were obsolete or no longer needed. Batman, tired of waiting for an explanation, called out to him.

"What's wrong?"

"You know that thing we used to track Wally? The one that beeps when there's a speedster moving faster than the speed of sound on Earth?"

"Yes?"

Superman narrowed his eyes, and pulled out the said machine from below a pile of scrap metal. The beeping was now audible to anyone with normal hearing and Batman's eyes widened.

"Well, it says there's a speedster on Earth, and he's in Central City." Superman's eyes looked up with concern. "Do you think it's...?"

"I hope not." Batman looked down in exasperation. "I'm calling in all founders away on missions. In the meantime, you head down and figure out what's there."

"How are you going to call in Flash? He's a minimum of three hours away."

"I'm not telling him."

Superman's eyes widened.

"Bruce." Superman ignored the death glare he received. "You have to tell Wally. It's his City. If something happened to Gotham, wouldn't you want to know?"

"I will tell him, but not until we know what's down there. There's no point in making a mountain out a molehill. Shayera and Wonder Woman are on their way to the Watchtower now."

Batman looked pointedly at Clark. The dot on the screen of the speedster tracker stayed within the boundaries of Central City.

"Get down there. You're the only one who can keep up with him."

Superman didn't argue, and beamed down to the midwest city.

* * *

Wind blasted through the streets of Central City. Any normal city would have found the unusually strong and infrequent gusts of wind annoying, but every Central citizen welcomed it. They recognized it for what it was: it was a speedster. By default, they assumed it was the Flash, and they were not concerned or panicked by the sudden activity. As Superman hovered above the city, he was happy that he at least didn't have to deal with crowd control.

After a while of surveying the area to find the unknown runner, Clark decided to take a different approach. He closed his eyes, listening to the sounds of the bustling city below. The blaring car horns, the laughter of children, the ringing of bells on shop doors, the shuffling of feet...

The gust of wind.

Superman snapped his eyes open and flew directly towards the sound of rushing air. Weaving through the high city buildings, Superman arrived at where he projected the sound would go to next. He waited at the end of an alley where he could see the speedster approaching him. Descending, the man in blue waited patiently as he saw the unidentified person come steadily closer. The racing man was right in front of him now, and Superman anchored his feet, bracing for impact.

Ten meters away.

Four meters.

One...

Unexpectedly, the blur slowed down and eventually came to a stop in front of him.

Superman's first thought: thank god he isn't wearing yellow.

Clark saw a man who appeared to be in his early fifties. He wore a shining helmet, blue jeans and a red t-shirt with a lightning bolt on the center. The man smiled at Superman and held his hand out for a handshake.

"Finally. I've been trying to get some hero attention for a while. You must be Superman."

Superman eyed the hand suspiciously, but after an awkward pause he grasped and shook it firmly.

"And who are you?"

The friendly demeanor of the older man made him immediately want to trust him, but without J'onn to read his mind, Superman did not want to take any chances.

"I'm the Flash."

Superman stared at him in confusion. This was an unforeseen development. Reaching up to his ear, he opened up a communication link with the Watchtower.

"Batman?"

_"Clark. Did you find the threat? The machine __doesn't detect a speedster anymore." _

"It's not a threat. I think. But there are a lot of questions that need answering. Beam us up to the Watchtower."

The silver-haired runner looked inquisitively at Superman, his jovial demeanor never fading.

"'Watchtower?' Is that your headquarters?"

Superman couldn't help but give him a genuine smile.

"You'll see."

* * *

"By god." The older Flash zipped around the Watchtower control room as the other heroes stood in the center patiently, waiting for him to take in the sites. "You guys got a nice place here."

The man slowed down to talk to the founders. The red-shirted man looked at the four heroes and took off his helmet, knowing that the Justice League was probably sizing him up. He flashed another of his winning smiles as he patted down his silver and brown colored hair.

"Sorry, helmet hair."

Wonder Woman looked at his helmet, fashioned after the helmet of Hermes, and couldn't help but allow a smile to creep onto her face. The older man continued talking, his somewhat scratchy voice adding to his already warm aura.

"You know, I was looking for someone in particular, and I'm surprised that he's not with you."

Diana rose a delicate eyebrow.

"And who might that be?"

"The Flash."

Superman, who stood in the back with his arms crossed, stepped forward.

"Hold on. You said you were the Flash."

"I am."

Everyone in the room stared at him in confusion. Shayera pointed at the Flash impersonator with her mace, not dropping her intimidating demeanor for a second.

"How exactly does that work?"

"Sorry, miss. I'm not being very clear. The name's Jay Garrick. And I was the first Flash before I retired."

"But I thought Barry Allen was the first Flash?"

"In your time, he was," said Jay. "My city was kept in a state of suspended animation until Barry vibrated at a certain frequency and found it. Once he reanimated my city, all of the citizens reappeared back in Central, including myself."

"Fascinating," Superman said in a flat, unimpressed tone. He found his story highly unbelievable.

"I'm sure you've heard of worse things. But I am really looking for the current Flash. Where is he?"

"Off-world," said Batman. "He'll be back in a couple of hours. Why do you need him?"

"It's nothing...I think. I met up with a friend of mine. He's also a retired speedster, and he's been doing research on our powers."

Shayera leaned over to whisper to Wonder Woman.

"How many speedsters are there?"

"It's probably just as extensive as the Bat Family."

Wonder Woman ignored the sharp stare focused on the side of her head. Her eyes twinkled as she gave a sideways glance to the Caped Crusader. Then, she returned to politely listening to Jay's explanation.

"He and I both had a strange shock, kind of like a seizure, to our systems a couple weeks back, and we wanted to ask Flash about it. I've been phoning him, but he's been a little out of touch lately. If I remember the news correctly, all this happened around the time that Luthor pulled his brainiac stunt."

"As far as we know, Flash didn't have any speed seizure," Superman commented, reflecting on the fight. Batman, who contemplated the time period in question, realized exactly what had caused the trouble for the other runners.

"No. But he did enter the Speed Force."

"H-he..." Jay looked at him in disbelief, the stutter echoed the surprise in his features. He had been caught off guard. "He did what?"

He said it in a whisper, and the man seemed much older than fifty. It was the first time that Jay's pleasant demeanor had been disturbed. Now his expression held anxiety, apprehension, and fear.

"He shouldn't even know what that is."

"He didn't. Not until he entered it."

Jay, absorbing Batman's words, walked over to the wall of glass. He stared at the giant image of Earth in deep meditation. Wonder Woman, concerned with his reaction, walked over and placed her hand on his shoulder.

"What's wrong?"

"The Speed Force was something like a- well," Jay paused, attempting to find a word to suit his description. "I guess you could say a god. We didn't understand it. We just knew it could control our speed. And speedsters before have tried to reach it, but everyone failed. No one could move fast enough, no matter how hard they tried. I knew someone who got close to it once."

"And?"

"He spent his entire life trying to enter it again. He just recently stopped, but that didn't mean he stopped studying it. It became an obsession. Geez, when Max hears about this..."

"So what doest this mean for Wally?" Superman, along with all the other leaguers, expressed his worry.

"The only one who can help him is Max. All I know is..."

Jay closed his eyes anxiously. The other heroes hung on his every word. Superman flew forward, not liking where the conversation was going.

"He'll never be the same."

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**Whoop, there it is! **

**Just so y'all know, I update every week, if you're wandering when the next chapter is! **

**Thank you for reading, hope you enjoyed! **


	3. The Pursuit

**Just got back from the Golden Globes guys; tons of fun! **

**Thank you once again for all the reviews. I hope I responded to everything! **

**Here is the next chapter and I hope you enjoy. **

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**Chapter 2 **

**The Pursuit **

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"I'm so glad it's over," Flash commented in a mock whine.

J'onn and Green Lantern smirked in response. Chuckling, John propped his head up on his hand.

"I thought they wouldn't let us leave until we ate some. I don't think even you could have stomached that."

"Got that right. I don't eat rocks," said Flash. He rubbed his chin, his train of thought now on food. "Now that I think about it, J'onn, what kind of cuisine did Mars have?"

J'onn ignored the remark and instead opened a communication link with the Watchtower. A brooding Batman appeared on the internal screen of the javelin.

"Batman, the mission was a success. The extraterrestrials peacefully agreed with the manuscript and proceeded to partake in the ritual. We are entering the solar system and should be arriving shortly."

_"Good. Flash." _

The mentioned hero shot up to the front of the spacecraft.

"Yea, Bats. What's up?"

_"You have a lot to answer to. Don't run off as soon as you get here. Batman out." _

Flash, who had been leaning on John's chair languidly, stared in confusion at the now blank screen. Puzzled, he looked towards his colleagues. They shared his perplexed expression.

"What'd I do?"

* * *

"Eight-thirty."

Linda marched through her apartment, searching through her closet for a suitable outfit. They never went anywhere fancy, but she would still endlessly sort through her clothing for the perfect outfit whenever they went out. It might be a nervous habit.

"So, thirty minutes to get ready. He said he'll be here at 'nine, maybe.'" Linda stopped shuffling through her items. "Knowing him, that probably means he'll be here at ten."

She still got nervous before every little date, and Wally's late habits often exacerbated her anxiety. Sighing, she flopped down on the bed and covered her face. A glint of light, shining off a reflective glass surface, caught her eye.

A picture, protected by a gold frame, stood on her bedside table. Flipping over so she lay on her stomach, she reached over to the stand and picked up the photograph. It was a shot of her and Wally at the Missouri state fair. They had decided to go to since Linda had to cover it for the paper. In years past, she had been slightly hyper-critical of the creaky, hazardous rides and questionable fair food. However, when she and Wally had ventured into the health-endangering land that many young toddlers indulged in, she swore her red-headed boyfriend had been more excited than the children. During their time at the there, Wally had maintained such a positive attitude that she had begun to see the beauty in the state fair. There was a charm to the cholesterol-filled food, a history to the broken relics that people considered rides. At the time, they barely knew each other, but she remembered that her face had been sore for a week from smiling so much. She hadn't laughed that hard before at anything. And based on the look in Wally's eyes, he hadn't either.

At one moment, when the pair had been sharing a fluffy cotton candy and laughing at Wally's self-made pink mustache, they had heard the shameless shutter of a professional camera. A kindly old man, with a rather large camera around his neck, had walked over and handed them the photo he had just taken. He said it was free, and they had accepted it graciously. They had had a little spat about who got the right to keep it, since they both wanted it. In the end, they had decided to switch off ownership every month, on their anniversary.

Looking at the pair of them laughing, with Wally's faux mustache slipping off the corner of his mouth and the bright lights of the ferris wheel framing them in the background, she couldn't help but thank the old man. It was a priceless picture.

Linda put it back on the stand with care and glanced over at the clock. It was eight forty-five.

"I bet if he drove he'd be on time."

* * *

_"Javelin is now in the landing bay." _

The four Justice League members and Jay sat back in the conference room. As the computer automated system finished its announcement, a blur of red entered the room. Flash slowed to a stop at the table, and without really scanning who was there, looked directly at Batman and began to talk.

"Okay, Bats, I know you need to tell me something, but can we do this later? I need to be somewhere in twenty minutes."

"I'm not the one who needs to tell you something."

Green Lantern and J'onn entered the room at a casual walk. Unlike Flash, they noticed the unexpected hero in the room. The older speedster ran up behind his younger counterpart and gave him a good-natured smack on the back of the head. Wally lurched forwards from the sudden impact and whirled around in surprise. On the side, Green Lantern and J'onn prepared for combat, but Superman signaled to them to lower their guard.

"Ow!" It took him a second to process who exactly was in front of him. "Jay?! What are you doing here?"

Flash took a look around and saw the calm, almost somber expressions in the room.

"Hold on, is this an intervention? Look, I'm sorry I've been late, but jeez, you didn't have to tell on me."

Superman massaged his temples, slightly annoyed by Flash's idiocy.

"Flash, we didn't call him. He called us."

"Wally, I need to talk to you." Wally turned his attention to his predecessor. "I originally came here to ask you if you had a speed seizure-"

"Nope! Didn't. Can I go now?"

"No! Wally, for God's sake." Jay grabbed the youngest founder by the arm, before he was able to dash off. "Now the entire situation has changed. Wally, you've entered the Speed Force."

Flash paused. Every fiber of his being, every molecule that was under his control, froze. Those two words sent ice through his veins, a chill down his spine. They reminded him about the danger of his speed, and they reminded him of his desire to be a part of the Speed Force. He stared at Jay in complete silence, and the founders took that as a sign that something was wrong. The older speedster's face softened. He looked at him in pity and sympathy. After a couple minutes of noiseless discomfort, Flash spoke in a hushed tone.

"...I did."

Another pregnant pause. Jay looked down at the floor before putting his hand on Wally's shoulder.

"You have officially become the fastest speedster of-" Jay chuckled. "-well, of all time."

"No. You don't know that. Barry might have-"

"Barry didn't."

The elder took a deep breath before looking up at Wally's face. The lens of the Flash's cowl prevented him from seeing his eyes. The only indication of emotion came from the grim line that was his mouth.

"I never wanted to replace Barry, let alone surpass him."

Jay's expression hardened a little.

"As soon as you put on that suit you replaced him. That doesn't mean it wasn't the right thing to do. It's just..." Jay sighed. "I can't even begin to understand what you're going through."

Wally tensed and his stance became slightly defensive. Jay felt Wally's muscles flex like a coiled spring under his hand.

"I'm not going through anything."

"No? Really? I don't believe it, kid."

Flash quickly shrugged off the hand on his shoulder. His mouth tilted further downwards, settling into a frown.

"I'm not a kid. Not anymore."

"No. No, I guess you're not. But regardless of that, you need to visit Max."

"I don't need to do anything." Flash paused. "Actually, scratch that, I do need to do something. I need to get down to Central."

"Wally, please, at least promise me you'll visit him."

"Sure, I will." Flash took a couple steps back, distancing himself from the other heroes. Jay saw that he was prepared to run, and readied himself to chase after him. "I just really need to be somewhere else right now."

With a sudden gust of wind, Flash was gone from the room. All the Justice League heroes, who were used to his unexpected exits, didn't even blink. However, Jay stood there mesmerized by his sudden disappearance.

"Still runs away from his problems I see, except this time I could barely see him leave."

Jay sounded broken-hearted, and the other heroes were worried. He walked over to a chair and plopped down despondently. Green Lantern, who was just catching the gist of things, walked over to the conference table. He placed a hand on Jay's back and sat in the empty seat beside him.

"Jay, I'm sure we can do something to help him. Who is this Max?"

"He goes by Max Mercury. He's probably the very first speedster ever. He was originally known as 'Windrunner,' by Native Americans, and he repeatedly travelled through time until he ended up in our time period."

Diana looked at him suspiciously.

"Why did he travel through time?"

"He was chasing the thing where all speed comes from. He was chasing the Speed Force." Jay put his elbows on the table. He bowed his head down under his clasped hands. "It's an addiction. Once you see it, you feel it, it becomes an obsession. It possesses your thoughts, dreams, and reality. It's the home of lightning. I never really listened to Max's preaching because I never cared for the Speed Force myself, but now that Wally actually entered it, he needs to talk to Max. He's the only one who could possibly understand what Wally's going through."

"I could help him cope with this," said J'onn. "I need only to read his mind and I can easily help him with the psychological issue."

"If it were that easy. It's something I think only speedsters would understand. Not to mention, it's not all about the mind. He'll need to deal with his newfound speed as well."

Quiet contemplation occupied the room. Then, Batman stood and headed towards the doorway. Superman, used to his unannounced departures, turned to him simply out of curiosity.

"Where are you going?"

"Getting Wally. Jay, call Max. Tell him he'll be there within the hour."

* * *

"I'm impressed."

Linda walked out of her apartment, smiling at the sight of her boyfriend. She had answered the door so quickly that her chiming doorbell was still ringing in the background. Wally was holding a single red rose with a crooked grin on his face.

"I know! I got you a flower. By the way, grab a jacket, there's a pretty good chance of thunderstorms later."

She mumbled in agreement then took the rose gently and walked back inside to grab a container. Placing it inside a simple white porcelain vase, she set it on her dining room table and went back to the door. She grabbed a coat for the brisk night air, then walked out of her apartment and locked it tightly behind her.

"I was actually more impressed that you were only ten minutes late. I underestimated you."

Wally held her hand in his and they strolled down the street.

"What little faith you have in me. I'll just have to impress you more often."

Linda giggled and grabbed the top of his arm with her other hand, snuggling into his jacket. She smiled contentedly, her eyes twinkling.

"Hmm. But I'm assuming we're eating at the same place as always?"

"Of course."

The sidewalk ended as they arrived at a bustling intersection. The night was illuminated by the head-lights of cars, dim street lamps and the neon sign blaring "Joe's Diner" across the street. The foggy water vapor that was their breaths encircled them as they moved to cross the street and enter the small, homely diner. As soon as they swung open the door, the two bells dangling from the handle jingled to announce their entry. A middle-aged, overweight man with grease stains on his apron, who had been mopping the floor, beamed as soon as he saw his two favorite customers at the door.

"Wally!" The man walked over and patted the man on the back. He then turned and gave a mock bow to the dark-haired woman, picking up her hand and kissing the top of it. "And his lovely lady, Linda."

"Hey, Joe." Wally pushed the bald man a little ways back and Linda laughed. "Not so close," jested Wally, a good-natured grin gracing his features.

"My apologies. Same seat as always, I presume?"

"Please."

He led the pair to a window seat and sat them down without any menus. He knew what they wanted already and walked off to place their order. Another waiter walked by and set two waters on their table. After the two of them hung their coats on the back of their chairs, Linda grabbed one of waters and began to twirl the straw and push the ice cubes.

"So I hear you're working on a case for Bruce Wayne?"

Wally looked at her, shocked.

"I am. How did you know that?"

"Got the call in at the office this morning. Said that Bruce Wayne had asked for the assistance of one very respected forensic scientist from Central City. Not very many people knew who Wally West was, but I did."

"You working on the story?"

"No. They gave it to this promising newcomer, some girl named Sonia or something."

Wally laughed and gave her a knowing look.

"At least I know that I won't have to worry about you trying to get the inside scoop."

"Oh, you never know. I may decide to try and help her out."

The serious facade she tried to maintain crumbled as her face split into a wide, cheesy grin. Wally looked at her dubiously.

"Ha ha, very funny. I hate it when you cover my cases. I can't hide things from you."

_Well, except one thing._

The waitress came by and delivered their dishes. The blonde server placed a turkey club sandwich and a basket of fries in front of Linda. Wally received a steaming double cheeseburger and a side of onion rings. The two thanked her as she smiled politely and hovered off to help another table. Linda took her fries and shoved them towards Wally, knowing that she couldn't finish the whole order. Wally smiled at her thankfully.

"I swear, you are probably one of the few people in this world that could actually eat a horse."

"Probably. I never tried."

Wally decided to change subjects; his appetite was not his most attractive feature.

"Hey, we match."

Linda stopped mid-chew and surveyed her clothes before looking at his. Then, she stared at him like he was an idiot.

"White t-shirt and jeans."

"Yep. Classic."

She continued chewing and shook her head.

"You dork. Now all you have to do is wear heels and we'll match completely."

"Or you could wear sneakers. That makes more sense."

"That's less fun."

Her melodious laugh resounded throughout the restaurant and Wally couldn't help but find himself joining in. After a good time, Linda coughed and put her sandwich down on her plate. She looked straight into Wally's eyes, and she had that look that let him know that she was about to ask him something. Or it was more like mandate something, but either way he didn't mind.

"Wally, I've been thinking. We've been dating a while."

Wally felt a twinge of fear. He was more scared than he ever was when he had fought criminals, which definitely counted for something. Linda continued.

"And, I really like you. I'd like to think you like me, too."

Wally nodded soundlessly.

"And I basically live at your apartment already. Hell, with the hitch in the lock, I don't even need the key to get inside. So I thought, well, maybe we could just move in together?"

Wally stared at her in amazement. Linda, who had been incredibly nervous, misinterpreted his stunned silence as hesitation.

"But if I'm moving to fast, I mean, we could-"

"No!" Wally gave her his widest smile. "You know, people are always telling me I move too fast."

He reached across the table and grabbed her hand, holding it tightly.

"But that's what I love about you: we're always on the same page."

Linda copied his massive grin.

"Wally West, I do believe you just told me you love me."

"Did I? Well, I won't deny it."

The ebony-haired reporter slowly surveyed her surroundings, then gave a mock-exasperated sigh.

"But in a diner? Really, Wally? Can't you be more romantic?" She giggled at his obvious fear, his awkward demeanor, his stuttering and fumbling over words. "You're lucky I love you too or else that just wouldn't fly."

Wally relaxed and clasped her hand even tighter. However, the moment of elation was short-lived. A sudden shadow fell over the table. Someone was standing beside their table, blocking out the already pale lamplight of the diner. Wally turned his head slowly, and the first thing he saw was the sleeve of a suit. In fact, whoever was by their table was extraordinarily, annoyingly, obnoxiously, filthy rich. The man smelled like money. Wally withdrew his hand from Linda's and looked up at the man suspiciously. Taking in the the impressive sight of the suit, Wally slowly looked upwards until he saw coal-black hair and crystal blue eyes.

And then he was ready to strangle the man beside them.

_You have got to be kidding me. _

"Can we help you?" Linda asked in the politest tone she could muster, but her annoyance still seeped through. Wally inwardly laughed. His girlfriend was famous for her unmatched temper.

The dark-haired billionaire held out his hand for a handshake and gave a pleasant smirk.

"I'm Bruce Wayne. I'm currently employing Wally in a case."

"Oh." Linda didn't apologize for her slightly rude greeting, but rather just recovered her professional, reporter attitude.

"I'm Linda Park, Wally's girlfriend."

"Oh yes. I've heard a lot about you. You're even more lovely in person than he says."

Linda gave him a tentative, mostly polite, smile. Wally's eyes slid over as he glared at Bruce. He was obviously enjoying tormenting the disguised speedster.

_Just 'cause your pretending to be playboy Bruce Wayne does not mean you can flirt with my girlfriend. Bats, I swear you better not do anything stupid._

"I apologize, Ms. Park, but I have to steal Wally away. Some urgent news came up on the case we're covering, and as you may know, time is everything when it comes to a case."

Linda frowned for the first time that night. She looked over at Wally disappointedly, who shared her despondency. Wally would not take this comment sitting down.

"Really? Is it that urgent? I think it could probably wait until tomorrow."

"Yes, Wally." Bruce scowled, the only semblance of Batman seeping through. "It is." _  
_

Wally met his glare with an equally stony look. An internal chess match was playing out, until Wally lowered his head and knocked over his king.

"Fine."

Bruce placed an egregious amount of bills down on the dining table. His two other companions stared at him in disbelief, and the waitress, who was passing by, nearly dropped another table's order when she saw it.

"I'll cover the meal as an apology." Bruce turned to the waitress. "Keep the change."

She nodded, speechless, grabbed the money, and practically ran back to the kitchen. The pair followed the formally dressed man outside of the diner. On the curb, occupying at least three parking spots, sat a sleek, black limo that honestly stuck out like a sore thumb in the middle-class neighborhood. The Wayne butler, Alfred, stood outside the dark shiny vehicle and instantly opened the door at the sight of the trio. Bruce motioned back to the couple.

"Linda, let me at least give you a ride home. Please, come inside."

Wally groaned and entered the inky limousine.

This was going to be a long night.

* * *

Wally, not usually one to feel anger, practically embodied it as he fearlessly glared at the Dark Knight. Bruce leaned back into the soft leather of the car and smirked at the younger hero. His legs were crossed and one of his arms was draped across the back of the seat.

"That was crossing a line, Bruce."

"You were ignoring your responsibilities. I had to step in."

It was obvious that Wally was talking to Bruce Wayne, not Batman, so the redhead scaled back on the anger and instead chose to look out the window. He noticed that they were leaving the city limits and it was beginning to sprinkle outside.

"I'm not ignoring my responsibilities. I was gonna go see Max on my own, just not yet."

"You need to prioritize. Your love life shouldn't get in the way of your job as a hero."

"Unlike you, Bats." Wally turned away from the window and pointed at the suited playboy. "I do have my priorities in order. My priority is Linda. For once in my life, there is something other than being a hero that I can appreciate."

Wally sighed and turned back to the window. He knew that his words had probably cut Bruce deeper than he intended to, but he couldn't help it. He was frustrated, and he felt like saying it. He could feel Alfred's eyes on him from the rearview mirror, and in his younger days, that would have compel him to apologize. Not anymore.

"I don't intend to lose her."

The stretch vehicle raced through the highway, rolling over the slippery roads, kicking up dirt and mud. The sky had morphed into dark grey and poured its faded colors down on to the horizon beyond. It was no longer a light rain, but a blanket of water, mercilessly pouring on to the land.

The only illumination was the bright flashe of lightening, the only sound the rolling thunder.

* * *

**There it is! The plot is slowly thickening! **

**Don't be afraid to send/suggestions and ideas. I take everything into account :)**

**Thanks for reading; hope you enjoyed it! **


	4. Entrance

**Hey guys! **

**Here is the new chapter, and there are some DIRECT LINES FROM THE COMIC. So, that's kind of my disclaimer. The part where Max talks about the speed force? Not mine. Got that from a comic website. **

**Anyway, hope you all enjoy this chapter! It wasn't entirely edited, so please don't kill me for the mistakes. **

**Have fun reading! **

* * *

**Chapter 3**

**Entrance **

* * *

Bruce and Wally approached a small, boxy house, hidden from the main street by overgrown rose bushes and spiraling willow branches. The pair wrestled their way through the forest as they approached the front entrance. Wally gave three solid knocks on the door and before the third one was finished, the door snapped open, revealing a tall, blue-eyed, gray-haired man. He looked older than Jay, but not by much. He stared, fixated on the well-dressed stranger at his door, peering suspiciously at him through the corners of his eyes.

"Max."

The older man's line of sight turned to the familiar red-head and he gave him a jovial smile.

"Wally." The smile faded. "I talked to Jay. I heard about the Speed Force."

Max opened the door widely, allowing the two founders to walk in.

The house was obviously built for one. It was incredibly cramped and there were barely any seats inside the living room. The air was stale, the room musty and faded, and it almost seemd abandoned. Wally sat down on the dilapidated couch and Bruce chose to stand in the back, leaning on the walls covered with pale peeling plaster. Max, throwing each of them a bottle of water he pulled from the kitchen, sat down across from Wally on a stool.

"Sorry about the house. I'm rarely home, and without a missis to keep it in shape," Max shrugged, "I'm afraid it just falls to pieces."

Wally gave him a cheshire grin.

"Yea, I know what you mean. And not all of us have butlers."

Wally was still sore from the interruption of his date, and he took great pleasure in irritating the normally stoic Batman. Max gave a nervous chuckle before deciding to finally settle down to business. Unsure of where to start, he decided to begin with what would be the easiest to talk about: what he knew.

"You know, I've seen it. The Speed force, I mean."

Max put down his water bottle, preparing to relay his story. His eyes gained an ethereal spark, like he was remembering a long-lost friend.

"It happened when I was known by Windrunner.

"One evening, at the absolute peak of my prowess, I felt the night lightning calling me. Not with my eyes or my mind- but deep in my heart-I sensed a strange beckoning...and chased it. I raced faster and faster. I shattered all limits. I moved quicker than the hurricane, more swiftly than the thunderbolt, faster than light itself. Reaching supreme velocity, I approached this new threshold. For a span razor-thin even to me, I brushed the very source of this great power -and was transformed. The speed force drew me in without words, inviting me to the other side of the light, to become one with the light as others had before me."

His foggy eyes gained a new intensity. They narrowed, his leathery skin folded as he scrunched his face, and a sudden bitterness permeated his voice.

"And I hesitated at the last moment, and it slipped right through my fingers. I went forward in time, and I landed in 1981. From that day on, I was burdened with an empty ache more painful than the greatest dream dashed or the greatest love lost. I tried so many times to find it again, tried so hard just to see it one more time. But I just kept jumping times until I ended up in this era."

Max inhaled a shaky breath. Throughout his recollection he had been rubbing his hands nervously and staring at the floor. The two younger counterparts silently commended the elder for his strength and his eloquence. Max finally turned to look Wally in the eye.

"But you, you were a part of it. You were there. How in blaze's name did you leave? I don't see how anyone could resist it."

Wally peered over at Max and released a heavy sigh. His hand went up to brush through his copper hair.

"I didn't resist it. I got pulled out of it. Truth is," Wally looked over at Bruce, who was staring at him with measured sympathy, willing him to speak the truth. He continued. "I really didn't want to leave. I wanted to stay there forever."

"I'm surprised you haven't gone running off to try and find it again. God knows that I did that enough times."

He knew what Max and Bruce were doing. They were testing him, checking him, making sure he wouldn't relapse and have a sudden need for speed. Wally didn't blame them. After all, how could any person resist paradise? A bliss-filled drug stronger than morphine? How could someone lock eyes with God...and then look away?

"Well, I have a new addiction, and she keeps me rooted." Wally was relaxed and truthful. He still had some fear of the speed force, but he was always reassured when he remembered Linda. "She does everything for me that the Speed Force did. And when I'm with her, I feel anchored, secure. And Bats."

Bruce, who had been staring out the window, turned to look at Wally.

"I'm sorry for slipping on the JL stuff. But I lose track of time when I'm with her." Wally gave an embarrassed chuckle. "Ugh, now I just sound like some love sick puppy. But that's the honest reason I've been handling everything so well."

Max looked slightly let down by the answer; he had been expecting something more. He glanced at the empty fireplace, and Wally could see the glint of morbid curiosity in his eyes. Max whispered silently.

"What was it like?"

"Everything you described, amplified times ten. You forget things while you're there, too. Who you are, what happened...all that stuff's gone. You're just a blank slate, which is better than it sounds. Sorry, I'm not as articulate as you."

"It's alright, kid."

"And I saw..." Wally paused and gulped, unsure of whether he should say this. "I saw Barry in there."

That caught everyone's attention. Bruce and Max turned to the young man, wide-eyed and excited. The room was filled with an overwhelming silence; the only noise was the creaking of the floorboards. Everyone couldn't help but think about what this means.

Barry.

"What does that mean?"

Max thought about it carefully. He didn't want to jump to conclusions, but still.

"It means that either the Speed Force projects your greatest desires, manipulates your emotions, or-"

Bruce cut in.

"Or he's alive."

They all sat quietly, contemplating the implications of that statement. Wally had already thought about this plenty of times. He started counting the white specks of dust that levitated freely in the air, stirred by their breaths and illuminated by the bleak sunlight. The hopeful contemplation was disturbed by the noise of a furious tapping. Looking over, Wally saw Max shaking uncontrollably, vibrating almost through his chair.

"A-a-a s-s-spee-e-ed se-eee-i-z-sh-uuree."

Bruce ran over to help him, barely able to understand his incoherent mutterings. Wally stood as well, only to suddenly fall on the ground, ripped by cramps throughout his body.

"Ahhhhhhhhh!"

A blood-curling scream escaped his lips. A blinding light suddenly materialized in the air, surrounding Wally and his ghostly movement. It shot around him, jumping through different points in his body, and Bruce thought it looked like electricity. Wally vibrated faster than Max, and he was desperately clutching at the sides of his arms, as if fighting and willing himself to slow down. But he couldn't, and he felt pieces of himself, little individual molecules, continue to rebel and shake and separate from himself entirely.

From Bruce's perspective, it seemed like Max just couldn't stop moving, but Wally looked like he was being wrenched apart. The sudden speed surge seized their bodies, leaving Bruce grasping at their fuzzy images, trying to grab them. They just kept slipping through his fingers.

"Wally!"

* * *

The sky was clear, with perhaps a couple of fluffy clouds speckling the bright blue skies. The landscape was covered with an endless green; it was the perfect image of the corn-fields of middle America. An elderly couple sat on the porch and were content to watch the wind ripple through their vast harvest. There was no sound but the quiet hushes of leaves and muted snaps of twigs. The tranquility was only upset occasionally by the sopradic barking of the old family dog, which sat lazily, watching the field like his masters. His head rested on his skinny legs, while his portly body lain languidly on top of the boards of the porch.

It seemed like a picture; nothing had changed for a while. Then, the dog lifted one of its ears into the air. After a second or two, he shot upwards, now standing on its wobbly legs and barking crazily at the field. The wood of the house screeched in protest at the dog's angry movement. Jumping at the sudden loud and incessant noise, the old man placed a hand on the dog's head.

"Candy, quiet down. What's the matter with you?"

The woman watched as the dog continued his sharp explosive cries. Curious, she turned her head to the field, and all the movement and life seemed to freeze. The birds had all flown away, and the wind had stopped blowing. The sky was still relatively cloudless, except for one small spot, which was growing larger. The lady's eyes widened in realization at what it was.

"Jesus, hun! Look at the sky!"

A rock came shooting across the horizon, steadily barreling down onto the farm. It was a relatively small meteorite, one that lit up the already brilliant sky with a tail of dancing fire. It disappeared into the corn field, where it landed with a fantastic boom and caused all the surrounding corn to bend from the wave of impact. The house, at least a mile away, shook violently from the tremor. The dog bolted from the safety of the porch, leaving his masters to gape at what just happened.

"Candy, come back!"

The dog ignored his master and raced through the corn husks as well as it could. Panting heavily, his sticks for legs flew towards the crash site. Finally, the dog slowed down and tried to control his erratic breathing. He pushed his head carefully through the now bent husks, peering at the object in the crash site. The dog released a low growl.

It wasn't a rock.

The dog, confident in his abilities, leapt out from his cover and sounded a string of snarls and barks. The black mass, which had been perfectly round like a ball, unfurled itself and began to melt slowly onto the earthen floor, forming an inky puddle. It bubbled and steamed like hot tar, until eventually it grew upwards like an inverse fountain. The dog that had been relentless in his assault of sounds now took a couple steps back and ceased his barking.

Little by little, the ebony liquid began to form shapes until it looked something like a human. The long scrawly limbs drew out from a narrow hunchbacked body, its head supported by a thin line that was its neck. It was a body, but it looked like there was nothing but bones. The face was deteriorating and rotten, pieces of teeth were missing from its clenched jaw. A red lightning bolt appeared on its chest and the sides of its head, and any other person would be able to see the likeness to the Flash uniform. The only difference was that the color was a midnight shade and the beast's insubstantial form.

The dog gave one more bark at the creature, which cocked its head to the side. It lowered its eyes, which where really nothing but hollow sockets, supporting itself on all fours and curving its back. Its gaze met the dog's. He emitted a steady, grating growl. The animal, abandoning his dominant facade, whimpered before turning his tail to run away as fast as he could.

The dark menace released a breathy laugh, its cackle disturbing the silence of the field. Turning its head to look behind it, the black shadow vanished suddenly. The only indication it had been there was the crash site, the whoosh of wind...

And the curious trail of dead and decaying corn husks, leading to Central City.

* * *

Bruce saw out of the corner of his eye that Max was slowing down, and he rushed over to the older man. He picked him up by the arm and helped him stand on his feet. After Max was completely solidified, the white-haired man grabbed his head and turned to Bruce, who was supporting him.

"What happened?"

"I don't know." Bruce started walking Max over to the great electrical disturbance in the room that had originally been Wally. He was still vibrating at shocking speeds, and he no longer looked like a person, but a bright white blob. "It's still happening to Wally."

Max looked up at the light, and his eyes widened.

"He's moving too fast."

Max at once pushed off of Bruce and was by Wally's side in the blink of an eye. He reached into the sphere of dancing atoms and slowly began to drain the kinetic energy. Max was vibrating again, but he was able to keep his movements under control. Gradually, the spectral image became a human once again, and instead of the crackling sounds of electricity from before, they now heard Wally's warped scream. After a couple more seconds of systematically removing the energy, Max slowed Wally down enough until he could keep it under control. With Wally solid again, both speedsters dropped to the ground. Max was able to catch himself on his knees, but Wally face planted.

Bruce was there to pick him up but Wally waved him off. He instead rolled on his back and looked at the ceiling, still recovering his breath from the ordeal.

"I'm hungry."

Max narrowed his eyes.

"Wally, be serious."

"I am serious."

Bruce ignored the delirious young man and turned to Max.

"What just happened?"

"A speed seizure."

Wally groaned.

"That's what they feel like? I'm glad I entered the Speed Force instead."

"Your case was much more severe than mine." Max rubbed his chin, contemplating this. "It may be because your connection to the Speed Force is much stronger."

"Ya think?"

Max shrugged.

"It's the only explanation I can come up with."

"But why did it happen?" Bruce was now Batman without the cape and tights. He was in detective mode, and Wally knew better than to mess with him. "The last time you got a speed seizure was because someone entered the Speed Force."

"Maybe someone else went in? Jay?"

Max shook his head.

"Heavens no. Jay barely pushes past the speed of sound nowadays. But maybe...someone left it."

Wally looked at Max. He knew what he was thinking.

"You think Barry escaped?"

"What other option is there?"

Wally shook his head.

"I doubt it. He's been in there so long, it would be impossible for him to leave on his own."

The three sat in silence. Wally just destroyed their budding hope. After a good while of waiting, Wally began shifted uncomfortably and could no longer resist the urge to talk.

"So, what now?"

"Now," said Batman as he turned to the door, "you stay with Max until we find out what caused that speed seizure."

Wally shot up like a spring board.

"What?! Why?"

"Because you nearly vanished again. Without Max to help slow you down, you would have been in the Speed Force already."

"I don't wanna stay here! No offense, Max."

"None taken."

"Look, Wally. It's either you stay with him, or he stays with you."

Wally thought about this while looking around the dilapidated home he was in. It didn't take very long for him to decide what he wanted.

"What about it Max? Wanna visit Central City?"

Max smiled.

"I could use a vacation."

"Good," said Bruce. He held the front door open for his companions, motioning to Alfred who had pulled up in the driveway. "Now get in the car."

* * *

_"I thought we were going to move-in together? What happened to that?" _

"Yeah, I know Linda. Sorry, my Uncle just decided to come visit for a while." Wally was sweating bullets, and Bruce and Max just watched in amusement. He clutched the cellphone closer to his ear in an attempt to keep the conversation just between him and Linda. Looking out the window, Wally sighed. Cars moved so slowly.

_"How long?"_

"I don't know. You know how some family members are. You just can't get rid of them."

She didn't respond for a while, which made Wally even more nervous.

"I really do want you to move-in."

_"Sure."_

Wally winced_. _

_"Well, it won't matter anyways. I'll be out of town __a lot for the next couple days."_

"Doing what?"

_"Covering a story." _

"Anything interesting?"

_"Oh, it's nothing. Well, I have to go. My uncle is on the other line and, you know some family members, you just can't get rid of them!" _

A resounding click followed by a repetitive beeping met Wally's ears. He sighed and put his face in his hands. Bruce and Max were still smiling at him.

"How did she take it?"

"Not well, Bruce." Wally lifted his head up high enough to glare at the billionaire. "I blame you for all my relationship problems."

"Easy, kid. Just ask her over a couple times. She'll want to meet your family anyway," commented Max.

"I guess. I just don't see why I need a babysitter."

"Look at it this way, we can do training."

Wally raised his eyebrow.

"I haven't done any training since I was Kid Flash. Why now?"

"You're faster. You can do more than you ever thought you could do before, like vibrate through walls."

"I got a bloody nose from trying that one, and I don't really wanna repeat that."

"You don't have to. There are plenty of things Jay and I could teach you."

"Great. I have two babysitters now."

"It's a good idea, though," cut in Bruce. "You can move faster now, which does give you more abilities than you had before. You might as well master them."

Wally stayed silent, and just continued to look out the window.

_I don't want any more power. _

* * *

Linda slammed the phone down and sighed. She would talk to Wally once she cooled down.

"Boyfriend got you down?"

Hearing a scratchy, sand-paper voice, Linda turned to her officemate. Irene shared the office right next to her, and wrote the relationship and sex advice column in the paper. She had been very excited once she heard Linda got a boyfriend.

"We were supposed to move in together, but then his Uncle suddenly showed up in town. It was almost perfect timing." Linda rolled her chair around to face her. "It's fine though. I have a story to focus on anyways."

Irene lit a cigarette, ignoring the "No Smoking" sign right behind her head.

"Mmm. You mean the one with the two hicks and a crop circle?"

Linda rolled her eyes.

"It's more like two farmers who saw a meteorite hit their farm, and then it vanished."

"Sounds fake to me." The older woman took a drag on her cigarette and finger combed her unnaturally blonde hair. "Everyone knows those super-friends would have stopped it if it got anywhere close to Earth. I'm telling ya, it's just a couple of hicks and a crop circle."

"I think there's something more to it. I talked to the farmers on the phone, and they don't sound like the kind of people who would be lying. I mean, we've all seen an alien invasion before. Its not that hard to believe it might be happening again." Linda began typing on her computer. "I'm going to visit the crash site on Monday."

"Monday? That's a couple days from now."

"So?"

Irene put out the cancer stick. She turned to her computer, shifting through her emails.

"Darling, let me give you some advice. One of these nights, go surprise your honey and his Uncle with dinner. If he really does wanna move in, he wouldn't mind that at all."

Linda considered it, reluctant to take her advice. However, the more she thought about it, the more she wanted to do it.

"I'll go there tomorrow."

Irene smiled and lit another cigarette.

* * *

**There we go! I do hope you liked it. **

**So, real talk. I won't be able to upload a new chapter next week. **

**So I hope this lasts two weeks! **

**Thanks for reading! :) **


	5. Crushed and Stolen

**...**

**...**

**...**

**..**

**Hi. **

**Is this awkward?**

**Kidding. But as you may have noticed, my life had suddenly gotten hectic. And, compensating for the sudden lack of time, I gave up on updating this frequently. My life was suddenly full of so much stuff I had to do. You actually all should thank my roommate, because she told me I was being a horrible writer and that I needed to update for you guys.**

**So, I really can't say anything other than sorry. Sorry, I broke my promise. **

**And that promise is going to have to stay broken. :( I just can't say that I'll update every week anymore. It's not a reality. **

**On the bright side, my life outside of this story has gotten a million times better. **

**Yay?**

**Haha, but I hope you guys enjoy this chapter regardless. I'm very rusty from not writing, so if you have any critiques, please tell me. I'm all ears. Please, ignore minor mistakes though...I didn't really edit this. **

**And if you guys have any SPECIAL REQUESTS for characters appearances, message me! If I get enough requests for a character, I'll put them in the story, because it isn't that hard to do.**

**I'm also thinking of conducting a poll so that you guys can vote on the ending, but...**

**Hmm. Lemme know if you guys want a voice, haha. **

* * *

...

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**Chapter 4**

**Crushed and Stolen**

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* * *

Bruce had invited Wally and Max to spend the night over at his place since it was on the way to Central City. Wally never said no to a trip to Wayne manor. Who would say no to sleeping in a mansion? Better yet, who would say no to free food from a personal chef? (Alfred had to have been a chef before he worked for the Wayne's. There's no way he could make food so well otherwise.) Wally knew that, in his own way, Bruce had tried to make up for upsetting Wally's date with Linda.

The night and delicious food had ended though, and Wally and Max were back in Central City. The bright morning sun shined on Wally as he opened the door to his apartment. Stepping aside, he motioned to the older man behind him.

"Welcome to my humble abode."

Max stepped inside and looked around. Wally followed him in with a suitcase in hand, shut the door, and sped over to the room on the right. Not even a second later, Wally emerged, now empty-handed.

"That'll be your room. I'll sleep in here on the couch. The kitchen is to the left and the bathroom is straight ahead. And laundry is on the same floor."

Max sat down on the couch and Wally plopped beside him before turning on the TV. Max observed the neat and spotless room around him in surprise.

"You didn't strike me as a neat freak, kid."

"Meh. I have the time to clean it anyway."

Wally flipped through the channels of the TV at high speed, his eyes not really focusing on any shows in particular. Max noticed this and turned to his younger counter part.

"Alright, what's eating you?"

Wally turned to raise an eyebrow at him before sighing.

"Nothing. Or something. I'm not really sure what's bothering me."

"I think you know, but you think it's stupid."

Wally grinned and turned to Max.

"You and Jay are dangerous. You know me almost as well as Barry."

Max smiled bittersweetly. He patted Wally on the back.

"Come on. Tell me."

After a moment of getting his thoughts in order, Wally shut the TV back off and looked towards Max.

"I...I don't want anymore power. I mean, I'm so fast I could kill someone before they know what's going on. I could run to the past and change the future. If I sat here and thought hard enough I could probably figure out all the laws of the universe in a couple seconds flat. No one man should be able to do those things."

Wally looked down ashamed. Realizing what was bothering him, Max burst out laughing. Wally glared at Max.

"See? It was stupid."

"I'm laughing out of relief, kid. When you offer the average person power they'll take it, hoard it and abuse it. The fact that you think like that shows that you can handle that power."

"That doesn't change the fact I don't want it."

Max paused.

"Do you think the world would be better without Superman?"

"What? Of course not!"

"Why do you think the rules apply differently between him and you?"

"Because! Supes is Supes. I'm-"

"Wally, whether or not you want this power, you have it. I'm a hundred percent sure Superman has felt the same way about his powers as you do right now."

Wally stayed silent. Max stood and zipped out of the room. Appearing almost out of thin air, Wally turned to see Max fully clad in blue tights and mask, and a high-collared white shirt. He was in his Max Mercury uniform.

"Besides, you were saying those things like you can actually execute them. It's not that easy to do those things purposefully."

"Max, I really don't wanna learn how to actually do any new moves."

"Hey, you either do them on purpose, or they happen on accident," Max said. "Pick your poison."

After no response, the old speedster grinned down at the red-head on the couch.

"That's what I thought. Get dressed Wally, it's time to train."

Wally looked at Max and smiled. In an instant, Wally stood before Max completely clad in red.

* * *

Linda tapped her foot impatiently on the floor. She clutched her phone to her head as she sat on the central park bench. The ringing tone continued.

_"Hey, this is Wally West. I'm not able to get to the phone right now, but you know what to do!"_

Linda flipped her phone close in anger.

She hadn't spoken to her boyfriend since their little spat; this was odd, considering Linda usually had to ask _him_ to stop calling her. Linda sighed and twirled her phone in her hand. She picked up the iced mocha next to her before unceremoniously tossing it into the trash can next to the bench. The dark-haired woman blew an irksome piece of hair out of her face.

"What's up with you?" Linda looked up at the cloudless blue skies. "Whatever. I'll still surprise you with dinner tonight. In the mean time..."

She reached into her blazer pocket and pulled out a piece of paper. Looking at the number on the piece of paper, she dialed it into her phone. She nestled it between her ear and shoulder while grabbing a notepad and pen out of her purse. The ringing was quickly interrupted as someone answered on the other side of the line.

_"Hello?"_

"Hi. It's Linda Park from Central City news. I'm calling to interview you about the meteor crash you witnessed?"

_"Ah. Yes. First off, that wasn't a meteor."_

"Right, well. Before we start I have to warn you that whatever you say may be quoted. Including that."

_"That's fine."_

"Okay. Good. So, it wasn't just a meteor?"

"_I don't believe so. The thing vanished. My dog had gotten there before me, and he was scared of something awful."_

"Really. So it moved? On its own?"

_"Seems like it._"

Linda paused, thinking carefully about how to ask her next question without leading him. She decided to cut straight to the point.

"Do you think the meteor was...alive? An extraterrestrial maybe?"

_"Mam, I haven't the slightest clue. All I know is there was a trail of dead corn husks headin' south east."_

"South east?" Linda contemplated where the farm was; she remembered it from her initial scope and from seeing it on a map. "Towards Central City."

"_I think so. I couldn't follow the trail out too far since it hit the road and vanished."_

"Have you contacted the Justice League with this?"

_"I told the authorities, mam. They contacted the League for me, but they said they didn't see anything enter the atmosphere. Then people started saying all this was a hoax."_

Linda paused. That was strange. Linda truly did believe the story the old man was telling her. But she just couldn't fit these pieces together.

"Alright, well thank you for this, Mr. Hamilton. I'll have some follow up questions soon."

Linda shut her phone. She reread the notes she had taken on her notepad.

"I refuse to believe this is a crop circle."

She scribbled a couple of sentences more and then stood from the park bench.

"Well, I have time to do a little digging."

* * *

"So, what are you teaching me first? Time travel, super fast thinking, or what?"

Max smiled.

"Let's start with the basics."

Wally raised an eyebrow at Max.

"I wouldn't be the Flash if all I could do was the basics. Come on, Max. I got those down."

"Oh really? Well, then. Why don't you phase through that tree over there?"

Realizing what Max said, Wally gulped.

"Nuh-uh. No. Nein. I don't phase through things. I can't do it without making explosions or getting a nose-bleed."

"Things are different now though. Give it a shot."

Wally looked over at the tree in the distance. He sighed before getting into running position.

"Tell me when."

"When."

Wally rolled his eyes, but nevertheless shot off towards the tree. Approaching it in almost no time, he slowed down and stood right in front of it. Then, he began to vibrate. His speed increased until he was just a scarlet blur next to the tree. However, this image was the complete opposite through Wally's eyes. In Wally's perspective, he could see the tree become more and more transparent. Eventually, it was so see-through that he put his hand out to touch it, but it passed through with no resistance. The only thing he felt was an extreme sensitivity to the world around him, and a slight tickle all over his body. Pleased with the results, he walked right through the tree and slowed down on the other side, allowing his molecules to slow and solidify back in their space. The tree regained its opacity, and Wally was on the other side. The young hero grinned and whooped.

"Hey, Max! I did it!"

Max was suddenly next to him, smiling.

"That you did, son. And no nosebleed!"

Wally couldn't help being giddy. He had tried to learn that move his entire life, until he eventually just gave up. He thought he would never be fast enough. But now...

Wally clenched his hand and then relaxed it. Staring at his open palm, he still couldn't believe he had the same power that Barry had. He couldn't believe that he was just as fast as the Flash he had idolized his whole life. Heck, he might even be faster. Max looked at him with a small smile, knowing what he might be thinking.

"Think you can do it again?"

Wally grinned.

"Please. I can do more than that."

* * *

Linda stood on the edge of the road, where a trail of dead corn intersected with the pavement. She leaned down to see the blackened husks falling over on the pavement. It was an unusual site to see corn husks vibrant, full of life, and so starkly contrasted to their shriveled counterparts. Linda glared down at the brittle stems, thinking about what this meant.

"Crop circles are made from corn being crushed. Not having some husks..." Linda reached out with her hand to brush a dead plant, only to have it disintegrate at her slightest touch. Her eyes widened. "Dwindle away into nothing. This is definitely not normal."

Standing up, she looked around to see if the trail continued anywhere else. It didn't. The only thing there was the sulfur grey road, stretching out to the shining city on the horizon.

She took out a notepad and began to scribble down some notes. Picking up her phone, she called her coworker at the office.

"Hey, Irene?"

_"Hey, sweet cheeks. Surprise him yet? Planning on anything, you know, exotic for the night?" _

Linda rolled her eyes.

"Stop. This is a business call."

_"Oh. Yay."_ The sarcasm was obvious._ "My favorite. Well, as long as you keep me from doing my work."_

_"_My god. Why aren't you fired yet? Anyway, I'm just going to tell you right now, this is definitely not just a crop circle. Can you help me push my deadline a couple days back so I can look into this more?"

_"Honey, three questions. One: how do you know? Two: why would the grumpy old boss man listen to little ol' me? And three: when do I get to meet your boo thing?" _

"Okay. Responding in that order: corn doesn't just suddenly die-"

_"It's called weedkiller. Or corn-killer. Can't be that hard to poison."_

_"_-shut up, don't interrupt. I don't agree. I've never seen anything on this scale. And anyway, you and that 'grumpy old boss' have had something going on for years. Don't deny it. And finally, hopefully never."

Linda laughed as she heard her friend's frustrated sigh.

_"I'll find him someday. Even if I have to do it on my own. Oops, someone's on the other line, chat later, baby!"_

Linda shut her phone, satisfied with her work.

Suddenly, a huge gust of wind rushed by and flipped the pages of her notebook forward. Her hair, skirt and jacket flushed to life with the powerful rush of air, her ears filling with the sound of a roaring rustle. Then the wind stilled, and ended without a warning. Everything returned back to its stagnant, lifeless state.

Linda looked around shocked by the sudden wind.

"What was..." Linda smacked her forehead, realizing what it was. "Come on, Linda. You live in the same place as the Flash. You should be used to that."

Sighing, she took a quick glance at her watch.

"Oh crap! I better make dinner soon."

With that, she rushed into her car and pulled back onto the highway.

Unknown to her, two hollow eyes followed her as she drove away. The eyes were framed by grey, degraded skin. The monster's papery flesh stretched as the corner of its mouth lifted into a ghost of a smile. Missing, rotting teeth showed from underneath the black cowl that covered its face. Dragging its lithless form from the edge of the corn, it took off in hot pursuit after the woman and the car. It could smell its prey on the woman. It was getting close.

The pavement cracked under its feet, and the trail of dead and decaying followed his trail.

* * *

"How's he doing?"

Shayera walked up behind Batman, who was watching Flash and Max in the middle of a vast field on one of the Watchtower screens.

"He won't be too happy to hear you're spying on him."

Batman didn't even look at her as he typed in some codes.

"He'll be fine as long as he doesn't have a speed seizure."

"Which brings me to my other question: did Barry Allen leave the Speed force?"

"Why are you asking me this?"

"I'm just worried about Wally. And actually Jay, too. That man's a sweetheart."

"There are no leads to go off of. If I had anything, it would be only speculation."

Shayera narrowed her eyes at the Dark Knight and took a seat in the chair beside him. She spun it around so that it faced her, and she hooked her legs around the back, folding her arms on top of the back rest of the chair.

"You and I, and everyone actually, both know that even if you so much as speculate something, that means it's probably happening. So, tell me. What do you think? Is Barry out of the Speed force?"

Batman released one of his rare sighs.

"No."

"Why?"

Batman scrunched his face up in annoyance.

"Call it a hunch."

Shayera frowned slightly. With a sigh, she stood from her chair and walked toward the exit.

"Do us a favor, and share your hunches with everyone. It can help us prepare for what actually did leave the Speed Force."

Shayera shut the door. She knew she wouldn't be getting much more out of the stubborn vigilante.

* * *

Linda knocked on the door of Wally's apartment. After a pause, she knocked another time on the door.

"Wally?"

Impatient, Linda took the door knob and jostled it. A click was heard and the door opened to let Linda in. She shut the door behind her quietly. Removing her shoes, Linda walked inside and headed straight to the kitchen. She opened the cupboards and pulled out some pasta.

Even if spaghetti was really basic, it was one of Wally's favorite foods that she could make. Her cooking wasn't the best in the world, but she had been trying to improve on it since she realized the true way to her boyfriend's heart was, really, through his stomach. Pulling out the sauce from the fridge, Linda picked up some pots and started boiling the pasta. Waiting for the pasta to simmer, she walked back into the main room.

A slight breeze caused her to look back to the entrance; the door was wide open, creating a draft. Scrunching her face up in confusion, Linda walked over and shut the door. The door was closed but she still felt...uneasy. Staring at the knob, she hesitantly reached up and turned the lock. She had just entered through here. After a second more of contemplation, Linda turned her back to the door.

"I could have swore..."

She was cut off by the sound of water boiling over the edge of the pots.

"Shit! My pasta!"

* * *

Flash wiped some sweat off the side of his head. Looking around the field and confirming it was empty, he pulled back his mask and laid down in the field. Max saw this and rolled his eyes.

"Tired?"

Wally caught his breath.

"Just a lot."

"Told you it wouldn't be easy. You're not used to moving that fast at extended periods of time."

"I still find it cruel that you told me that I would learn all these cool moves, but you just made me phase through different things."

"These things take time." Max leaned over and offered Wally his hand. Wally took it and stood up. "I had to make sure your phasing wasn't just a fluke."

"No kidding."

"Think about it, Wally. You're speed has increased, but your acceleration remains the same. That means it takes you even longer to get to your top speed, which may not seem like a big deal, but it can be all the difference in battles. With this exercise, we got to increase your acceleration and help you get acclimated to what frequencies you need to vibrate at to match different materials' oscillation patterns. As you learned, you can't pass through everything at the same speed."

"Yea, yea. Molecular imbalance, De Broglie's equation, whatever. Max, I'm hungry. Let's go get some eats."

Max shook his head.

"Trust me, Wally. You can do so much once you realize the key to speed powers is actually being in complete control of your kinetic energy."

Hearing a sound near them, Wally whipped on his mask so fast that who ever caused the noise wouldn't have been able to see anything. He turned to face the perpetrator of the sound.

Green Lantern was right behind him. Smiling at the obvious exhaustion that was effecting Wally. Wally let out a breath he didn't know he was holding.

"Jeez, John. A heads up would be nice."

"Sorry, hotshot. But I need you back on the Watchtower. Batman is on to something, but he needs you to verify." John turned to the elder speedster. "You're welcome to come, Max."

Max shook his head.

"I'm good. I haven't run this much in, well, God know's how long. I think I'll be retiring early today."

John nodded. Wally turned to Max.

"There's some pasta in the kitchen, if you're hungry. Some leftovers in the fridge, too."

"Thanks, kid. That sounds wonderful. Now go to your space clubhouse."

"Space what?! Come on, Max it's-"

Wally was cut off as he and John were zeta'd up to the Watchtower. Max Mercury smiled and ran back to the Central City apartment.

* * *

Linda was in a horrible mood.

First of all, Wally was still not back in his apartment. She would have been suspicious that his uncle was even visiting him if she hadn't seen a case of luggage in Wally's room. (Which was full of male clothing...not that she checked.) It was getting late, and she was tired of waiting for him. Linda put down her notepad on the counter, which she had been reviewing to kill time.

Impatient, she poured the pasta she made into a bowl. She was hungry, so she was going to eat. Linda didn't have to wait for him if he was going to take so long. Grabbing a fork and spoon, she set down her food and utensils on the kitchen table. Just as the dark-haired woman was about to sit, she heard a noise in the back corner of the room.

And that only added to her bad mood. Linda had been alone in Wally's apartment plenty of times, but never has she felt so creeped out. Something was watching her. When she had been cooking, she had felt a breath go down her neck. And doors had just randomly shut. And...she was so freaked out. Linda knew she was being illogical. She was trying to calm down, but a particularly large bang at the door freaked her out.

Forgetting her food, Linda ran over to the living room and looked at the entrance door. The lights from the afternoon was gone, casting a gloomy and dark look in the open space. Linda saw the outline of a man hunched over by the door. Fearful, but stubborn, she grabbed a pot from the kitchen and ran back into the room.

"Hey, you! Get out of my boyfriend's home! You hear me?!"

The figure didn't even turn around. Linda growled.

"I'm warning you! He'll be home any second!"

After being ignored once again, Linda gathered more courage and decided she had enough of this guy's antics. She stalked up right behind him.

"Hey, asshole, if you don't get out of here, I'll-"

Linda froze. She couldn't move.

The shadowy, hunched-back figure slowly swerved its head around, looking at the young woman. His eyes were empty; just two bottomless pits glaring at Linda's frozen figure. His skeletal arm slowly edged upward, revealing bony, claw-like fingers that encircled around Linda's delicate neck.

Linda stared, terrified in her paralyzed state, unsure if it was her fear or the supernatural thing in front of her preventing her from moving. Even with the grey, decaying complexion, she noticed the black outline of what appeared to be some twisted version of the Flash uniform. Her contemplation was cut short. As the fingers steadily tightened around her neck, Linda dropped the pan and started tearing at talons that held her in a vice-like grip, cutting off her air.

_**"You just couldn't stay away, Linda Park,"** _cackled the creature.

"Who...what are you?" Choked out Linda.

The twisted image smiled crookedly, finally conveying that it was coherent. It released a breathy chuckle.

**_"Who am I?" _**He choked Linda harder. She gurgled and struggled for air.** _"I am the Black Flash. What am I..."_**

Linda's eyes rolled back into her head.

**_"Death." _**

With that, the Black Flash shot off with Linda at impossible speeds. Leaving to where no one could hear her silent screams.

* * *

**Whoop, there it is. **

**So if you didn't read the message I wrote at the beginning of the story, please go back and skim it. Important stuff in there. **

**And I hope you don't hate me too much ( please ) and I hope this was good enough!**


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